1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid flow diversion arrangement and more particularly to an automatic washer having an additive dispensing system including a multi-compartmented dispenser making use of such a liquid flow diversion arrangement for flushing additives from the dispenser into the washer at predetermined times during a washing cycle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In an automatic washing machine, it is desirable that additives be dispensed automatically. When the dispensing of additives is automatic, the user may load the fabrics to be washed into the wash tub and place the additives into their proper compartments or container, and the machine automatically completes the cycle of operations. Better results are obtained if these various additives are dispensed with water so that additives are metered into the wash tub and evenly distributed therethrough. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,727,434-Bochan and 3,760,612-Bochan et al., both assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, there are shown automatic washers for carrying out such operations. Additive dispensing systems are disclosed therein which make use of a liquid flow diverter for supplying water to the appropriate compartments of an additive dispenser such that additives may be dispensed into the washing machine automatically during the appropriate portion of the washing cycle. Prior art as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,513,866-Boothe et al., also assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, shows a fluid amplifier or liquid flow diverter for selectively diverting a stream of water for dispensing additives from separate compartments into the wash tub of an automatic washing machine.
Since it is desirable that the liquid flow diverter be responsive to a sequence control timer to selectively divert a water stream to the appropriate dispenser compartments at predetermined times during a washing cycle, it has been found advantageous to couple the respective control ports of such a fluid diverter with the sequence control timer through tubes. Also, since diversion of water by the diverter is accomplished as a result of transverse pressure differential effected by closing alternate control ports to atmosphere, it has been found that the closing of these control ports may be advantageously effected by means associated with the timer which will cause the closing of the tubes associated with the respective control ports. It has been found, however, that during the operation of such a dispensing system, it is possible that foreign matter such as lint and small particles of fabric may become lodged in the efflux nozzle of such a flow diverter. When this happens, water is caused to back up through the control ports into their respective tubes to eventually exit from the tubes to pour onto the timer and into the control compartment. Electrical shorting may follow with incapacitation of the washing machine resulting.
Furthermore, with single pieces of tubing coupling the control ports respectively with the sequence control timer, it has been found that the length and inside diameter of the tubes may be such that a high frequency oscillation or audible noise results when the tubes, and therefore the control ports, are open and exposed to atmosphere. Such oscillations when the control ports are open to atmosphere are due to the inherent ability of the diverter to amplify any resonance in the system. When tubes are assembled to the diverter, the resonance in these tubes at high water level in the washer is amplified by the diverter over a wide frequency range. This range is shifted toward lower frequencies at lower water levels in the washing machine. Furthermore, it has been found that if tubes of sufficient length are used so that the resonant frequencies drop below the minimum operating frequency range of the diverter, the impedances to atmosphere of such tubes may become so large that the control ports are closed with a resultant loss of water diversion capability. Larger inside diameter tubes may alleviate the problem but are not practical because of space limitations.
By the present invention, there is provided an improved liquid flow diversion arrangement that solves the above mentioned problems and which is highly reliable, efficient and of low cost.